Conspiracy Theories

The world’s most controversial events, and the complex beliefs behind them. From Bigfoot sightings to bitcoin takeovers, alien landings to assassinations, who’s shaping the narrative — and why? Conspiracy Theories is a Spotify Podcast. New episodes Wednesdays.

History
True Crime
Society & Culture
226
The Grenfell Tower Fire Pt. 2
39 min
227
The Grenfell Tower Fire Pt. 1
After a deadly residential fire in London broke out on the 4th floor of a concrete highrise, 71 people died. Survivors and loved ones were left asking: How did the fire spread so quickly — when it never should have spread beyond the 4th floor at all?
36 min
228
The Death of Bruce Lee
Ever since his death in 1973, Bruce Lee’s fans have wondered how the 32-year-old martial artist could’ve died so suddenly. Some believe his death was supernatural – the result of a family curse.
31 min
229
The Hollywood Star Whackers
In 2010, Randy and Evi Quaid alleged they’d been targeted by a shadowy cabal bent on ruining their reputations. The same group, they claimed, may have been responsible for the downfalls and deaths of stars like Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson.
37 min
230
“No Evidence of Risk” (FDA Pt. 2)
In 1999, an FDA food investigator found traces of mercury in America’s favorite sweetener. But when she presented her findings, she was told to stop her research.
41 min
231
Embalmed Beef & Fatal Snake Oil (FDA Pt. 1)
Long before the days of expiration dates and ingredient labels, the drug and food industries were an unregulated Wild West plagued by false advertising, fake cure-alls, and manufacturers that would do anything to cut costs. The public health scandals weren’t far behind.
41 min
232
Animal Espionage
Cats become creatures of warfare, pigeons are given a mission, insects are turned into spy bugs… Throughout history all manner of animals have been trained up as wartime allies and agents. But have governments gone too far?
40 min
233
Big Bang, Black Holes & The Gateway to Hell
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is helping scientists make breakthrough discoveries about the nature of our universe. But some researchers think the machine has the power to destroy our world… or open a portal to another.
32 min
234
The Somerton Man Pt. 2
Untraceable poisons. Soviet espionage. Modern codebreaking. Any, none, or all of these things may have something to do with why nobody can identify the Somerton Man.
35 min
235
The Somerton Man Pt. 1
A man was found dead on a beach in Australia in 1948 with his clothing tags cut out and 18 teeth missing. Who was he? How did he die? A cryptic note in his pocket has kept the mystery alive for over 70 years.
35 min
236
The Lost Tribes of Israel Pt. 2
In the 1800s, a movement spread across Great Britain that convinced thousands of Englishmen they were part of an ancient Jewish tribe. It was based on a legend about an evangelizer, Joseph of Arimathea.
38 min
237
The Lost Tribes of Israel Pt. 1
The fate of the ten tribes of Israel has been a mystery for thousands of years. Some legends say they are trapped in a mythical land. One mysterious traveler in the 9th century CE claimed differently. All we know for sure is that the members of the ten tribes suffered invasion and exile before seemingly disappearing from history.
39 min
238
California’s Deadliest Wildfire
In November 2018, equipment from the largest utility provider in America sparked a fire that killed 86 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
43 min
239
The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
In March 2011, the worst nuclear meltdown since Chernobyl took place in northern Japan. The incident was triggered by a natural disaster, but it was decisions made by the facility’s operators that led to such catastrophic damage.
42 min
240
The Flint Water Crisis
An emergency plan to cut costs in Flint, Michigan resulted in a contaminated water supply for the city’s residents. The water looked, tasted, and smelled foul – because it was tainted with toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria and lead from old pipes.
36 min
241
New York’s Toxic Love Canal
The Love Canal was supposed to be a suburban idyll. Instead, it became a dumping ground for chemical waste. After the land changed hands in the 1950s — from the Hooker Electrochemical Company to the Niagara Falls Board of Education — a school and 900 homes were built atop the toxic landfill.
34 min
242
Knights of the Golden Circle Pt. 2
After the Civil War, multiple caches of Confederate gold were discovered around the country. Were they buried by the Knights of the Golden Circle?
40 min
243
Knights of the Golden Circle Pt. 1
In 1854, as tensions between the American North and South were brewing, a physician named George Bickley called his closest friends to a secret meeting.
43 min
244
COINTELPRO Pt. 2
After a dozen major campaigns and thousands of planted bugs and wiretaps, COINTELPRO was finally exposed to the public. But the job of untangling its impact would take decades.
45 min
245
COINTELPRO Pt. 1
A secret intelligence project led by the FBI used illegal methods to spy on organizations and people from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. It claimed to be acting in the name of U.S. security — but was it really?
50 min
246
Treasure Hunt: The Beale Papers Pt. 2
Finding Beale’s treasure would be the thrill — and payout — of a lifetime. Without the key to the ciphers, it doesn’t seem likely. But there could be other reasons the riches are never recovered…
41 min
247
Treasure Hunt: The Beale Papers Pt. 1
In 1818, a member of a hunting party in the American West spotted a glimmer on a hillside — gold. Two hundred years later, treasure hunters are still trying to locate the dug-up riches.
35 min
248
UFO Government Surveillance Pt. 2
A new wave of extraterrestrial discourse began in June 2021 after the release of the U.S. government’s UFO report.
45 min
249
UFO Government Surveillance Pt. 1
Ever since “flying saucer” entered the lexicon, the U.S. government’s public stance on UFO sightings was to doubt and debunk. But all that changed in 2017, with an explosive report on UFO intelligence. And again in June 2021, when the government acknowledged — for the first time in history — that some UFOs are truly inexplicable… and maybe even threatening.
46 min
250
Pearl Harbor Pt. 4: Codes & Cover-ups
In the final episode of our crossover special, we examine the theories suggesting the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor wasn’t a surprise to the U.S. government at all.
38 min